Can.



M. M' BROWN.

CAN. APPLlCATlON FILED APR.24,19H.

Patented Mayl l, 1918.

M/U. Bronii VVITNESS ATTORNEY MERIC M. BROWN, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

CAN.

Application filed April 24, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Munro M. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a can or container designed particularly for holding and dispensing gaseous or inflammable fluids, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a can of an improved construction for automatically closing valves or stoppers whereby to render the same safe against spilling of the contents thereof or the explosion of the contents, and which valves may be automatically operated by a simple contrivance arranged upon the handle of the can to actuate the valve to open an air vent as well as the outlet spout to permit of the free flowing of the contents from the can or container.

"With the above and other objects in view the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the upper portion of a can or container constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the arrangement of parts when the mechanism connected with the handle is actuated to open the valves.

In the drawing the niuneral l designates any ordinary or preferred construction of cans or container which, at the upper portion thereof, is provided with an outlet spout 2 and with a substantially U-shaped handle 3 disposed to one side of the outlet spout, while the numeral 4 designates a reinforcing or strengthening member connecting the handle with the spout. The handle preferably comprises a hollow member and one of the side portions or arms 5 thereof communicates with the can, the other side member being closed to the can. The opening between the member 5 and the top of the can provides a seat for a ball valve 6, the said valve having connected thereto a stem 7 extending in the member 5, and the said stem is secured to one of the arms of an L-shaped or hell crank lever 8 which is piv- Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented May 14, 1818; Serial no. 184,237.

oted within the longitudinal element of the handle 3. The second arm of the lever 8 has secured thereto a link 9 which has its free end secured to an angular arm 10 provided upon an operating member 11 which is pivoted, as at 12, withinthe handle and which is provided with a finger or grip portion projecting through a suitable opening in the handle. The grip of the member 11 is disposed in a line with the inner or lower surface of the horizontal member of the handle 3 whereby the same may be readily grasped by the hand of the operator and pressure upon this member in a direction outward of the can will move the valve 6 off of its seat, as will readily be understood. The member 4: of the handle is provided with an air port 12, whereby air will be let into the container when the valve 6 is unseated. The valve 6 is normally retained seated through the medium of a spring 13 which is arranged in a tubular casing 1% that is secured centrally or otherwise connected to the top of the can. This spring 13 bears upon one end of a lever 14, the said lever being pii'otally secured, as at 16, to a depending bracket 1'7, and the free end of the lever is provided with an angular portion having a cup-shaped enlarged portion 17 within which the valve is received. The lever 15 passes through a slot in the outer end of the tubular casing 14, and the said end of the lever may have a loose connection with the second lever 18 which is pivotally secured, as at 19, to a bracket 20 depending from the upper portion of the can and disposed diametrically opposite the bracket 17. also offset and provided with a cup-shaped element 20 receiving a ball valve 21 which normally engages with a seat 22 provided at the port arranged between the spout 2 and the top of the can. The loose connection between the levers 15 and 18 permits of the simultaneous operation of both of the levers when the element 11 is actuated to unseat the valves 6 and 21, while the spring 14 will move the levers to seat the valves when pressure upon the member 11 is relieved. The can is provided at its top with a normally closed opening whereby the contents may be let therein, and also the bottom of the can is preferably concaved or raised above the lower edge of the side walls thereof.

The free end of the lever 18 is Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with a can having its top provided with an outlet spout and a U- shaped handle disposed adjacent to the spout, one 01": the offset arms of the handle being hollow and communicating with the can and having an air port, a valve closing the opening between the can and the said arm of the handle, a second valve closing the opening between the spout and the cam, spring pressed levers having a loose connection therebetween pivotally secured in the can and supporting the valves, and means,

comprising mechanism arranged upon the handle and including an element disposed below the handle and an element connected closing the opening between the spout and the top 01 the container, said container having a second opening, a ball valve normally closing this opening, pivoted levers within the can having cup-shaped portions receiving the ball valves, a loose connection between said levers, spring means contacting with the levers at the connection thereof for normally swinging the same to retain the valves seated, and means comprising mechanism arranged upon the handle and 0011- nected with one of the valves for operating the said valve for unseating the said valve to swing the levers and to cause the unseatthe interior of the can and said arm having an air port, a ball valve normally closing the opening, between the said arm and the can, a second ball valve normally closing the openingbetween the spout and the can, parallel lever members each pivotally secured in the can and each supporting one of the valves, a loose connection between the inner ends of the said levers, a casing having a slotted end receiving the levers, a spring within the casing exerting a tension against the levers at the connected ends thereof, a Sll11lf0f onesof the valves, and arranged within the hollow handle, a bell crank lever, f

a loose connection between the bell crank lever and the stem, link connected with the second arm of the bell crank lever, a valve operating member pivoted in the hollow handle and having an angular portion ex-,

tending tln'ough an opening in the said handle, and a second angular portion connected with the link.

T 1, I in iestimonywheieof l aflix my slgnatuie.

MEBIC M. BBOW N.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or latenta Washington, 33. 8. 

